These family members made cameos on their relatives’ TV shows

Michael Scott was on a mission to find the love of his life, and one of his contenders was Steve Carell’s actual wife, Nancy Carell. In several episodes, she played Carol, a real estate agent Michael dates. She ends their relationship after Michael cuts and pastes himself into a photo of her with her kids. 

Multiple spouses made cameos in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. For the finale, Andy Samberg’s wife Joanna Newsom appeared as a renowned cellist, Holt’s celebrity guest. The cast refers to her character only by her full name, and she calls Jake Peralta ugly. It’s a hysterical cameo. 

Melissa Fumero’s husband appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, too. An actor himself, David Fumero plays a hunky crossword puzzle writer who makes Jake Peralta jealous as he’s Melissa’s character Amy Santiago’s favorite puzzler. It’s a fun cameo, and you wouldn’t suspect the two are married in real life. 

Joe Lo Truglia played Charles Boyle in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and had a scene with his real-life wife, Beth Dover. Dover played a vendor Charles and Jake were visiting while planning Charles’ wedding. Dover is an actor best known for her work in Orange Is the New Black. 

For some celebrities, acting is the family business. Others try to deter their children from the arts. When Tina Fey’s daughter Alice Richmond expressed interest in acting, Fey told Richmond she had a part available in her show 30 Rock but had to audition. Richmond clearly impressed Fey, as she had a part as Fey’s character Liz Lemon as a child. 

Parks and Recreation had some of the best recurring characters of any sitcom in history, including cast member Nick Offerman’s wife, Megan Mullally. Mullally played one of Offerman’s character Ron Swanson’s ex-wives, Tammy Two. The TV couple was known for their … gross relationship, and knowing it was played by Offerman’s real wife made it all the funnier. 

Megan Mullally, of course, is known for her work in Will & Grace, and long before Nick Offerman was working on Parks and Recreation, he was playing a role on his wife’s show. Offerman first appeared on the show in 2001 as a plumber, and he returned for an episode in 2018 as a celebrity baker. 

Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell often appear in each other’s projects, so viewers weren’t surprised when Shepard made a cameo in his wife’s show, The Good Place. Shepard played a demon living in the bad place, and he and Bell even had a scene together where his character hit on hers. 

Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson are one of Hollywood’s best couples, and they should appear on screen together whenever possible. Steenburgen popped up in the series finale of The Good Place, her character teaching Danson’s character Michael how to play the guitar, helping him fulfill a longstanding desire. 

Imagine being Bryan Cranston’s child. Whether you made a cameo in Breaking Bad, it still has to be a cool reality. Though it wasn’t a major role, Taylor Dearden, Cranston’s daughter, did make an appearance on her dad’s show. Dearden played Sad Faced Girl — yes, that was her character's name — a high school student who spoke briefly at an assembly. 

Being Ralph Macchio’s kid is probably super cool. One of his kids, Julia Macchio, appeared on a couple of episodes of his show Cobra Kai. Julia’s acting resume isn’t as long as her father’s just yet, but Cobra Kai was by no means her first gig. Some of her other work includes Girl Most Likely and an episode of City on a Hill. 

Taran Killam knows how to make crowds laugh. He did so for years while he was on Saturday Night Live. While his wife, Cobie Smulders, was on How I Met Your Mother, Killam appeared on several different episodes, playing a character named Gary Blauman, who’s connected to the gang in various ways. 

David Burtka, Neil Patrick Harris’ husband, made several appearances on How I Met Your Mother, playing Lily’s high school boyfriend. Burtka popped up in another one of NPH’s shows: A Series of Unfortunate Events, playing Mr. Williams, who appears in the television adaptation but not the books. 

Auden Wyle, daughter of Noah Wyle, appeared on an episode of her father’s show Leverage: Redemption. And she wasn’t the only child to appear on the show. Gina Bellman’s daughter Romy Sethna had a guest role. Even Wyle’s wife, Sara Wells, appeared on the show, making it a major family affair. 

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher should have playing lovers down to a science by now. They played lovers on That ‘70s Show, they’re lovers in real life, and they played lovers, albeit for an episode, on Two and a Half Men. A real acting challenge for these two would be playing mortal enemies. 

If you want an acting job, having twin sisters starring in a sitcom is one good way to get hired. Tahj Mowry appeared on three episodes of his sisters', Tia Mowrey and Tamera Mowry, show Sister, Sister. Tahj, for some strange reason, played three separate characters. Did the producers think no one would notice? We’ve got some questions. 

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester are the couple of 2000s teen drama dreams. Meester starred in Single Parents for its two-season run, and her husband made an appearance several times during its run. Meester and Brody teamed up for the movie River Wild, too. 

Much of Justin Timberlake’s acting career has been in comedies, but he made a bit darker turn for his small role in his wife Jessica Biel’s miniseries, Candy. Timberlake asked his wife if the role had been cast, and he wanted it so badly he offered to do it for free. 

Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy should always appear in each other’s work (and they about do). When McCarthy was on Gilmore Girls, her husband had a guest role in one episode. Falcone was in a scene with McCarthy in Bridesmaids, too, and he had a role alongside his wife in Nine Perfect Strangers, among other projects they’ve been in together. 

Like father, like son. Mark Consuelos played Hiram Lodge on the teen drama Riverdale, and when the show needed someone to portray Hiram as a teenager, they tapped the exact right person: Mark’s son, Michael Consuelos. Michael returned for a second episode where Mark played Hiram’s father, allowing the two to share scenes.